10 Days
by digibutter.nerr
Summary: After some unknown occurance, Neil Watts has become concussed and stays in the hospital longer than expected. Eva Rosalene visits everyday for the ten days he's there, and learns things about her friend she wish she had known earlier.


As she stepped out of her car, Eva adjusted her scarf to accommodate for the cool November air. Fall was slowly shifting into winter, calling for a slightly warmer wardrobe. The cold weather never quite bothered her; regardless of the season she always wore her long, white, gold-lined labcoat.

Her heels clicked against the pavement with each quick step she took around the side of the building. She rubbed her hands upon entering the front lobby, grateful for the sudden burst of heat she was greeted with. Luckily, Sigmund Corp was far from archaic and the building's internal temperature was usually quite comfortable. A few of her coworkers greeted her and she replied with waves and morning greetings while unwrapping her scarf from her neck. With her scarf slung over her arm, she rode the elevator up a few floors and swiftly entered her office.

The young doctor's office was neat and organized, just how she liked it. Though her face began to flush when she realized she left out her diary once again. She flipped through a few pages (it didn't seem to be tampered with) and locked it away in her desk drawer. With a sigh, she flopped onto her chair and started up her work computer. Her freshly manicured nails tapped the desk in rhythm with the monotonous tick of a nearby clock.

It was the start of another uneventful day for Dr. Eva Rosalene and she was not looking forward to it. Sure, the job paid quite handsomely, and the unexplainable feeling of granting a dying person their wish was beyond compare, but there were plenty of lackluster days in her career.

There was a small knock at her door.

"Come in."

A fair skinned woman with short blonde hair greeted Eva with a smile.

"Good morning, Roxie," Eva glanced up briefly and returned her gaze to her computer which had nearly finished starting up.

Roxanne Winters was one of her colleagues, another employee at Sigmund Corp. She was pear-shaped and short in stature, but was never bothered by her personal image. Eva respected her optimism and hard working attitude.

"Heya, Eva! Have you talked to Neil today? I went to check on him in his office but he wasn't there."

"He better be out sick. He'll never hear the end of it from Rob if he shows up late again."

Roxanne let out a gentle laugh and rolled her eyes.

"Gosh, he needs to pull himself together. Anyway Eva, if you need anything I'll be in my office. Don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!"

"Alright, see you later." Eva returned the smile and focused her attention on her computer once she heard the door click shut. Her fingers quickly danced across the keys leaving a soft click with each letter. Username. Password. Email. Almost the same routine everyday for the past few weeks. Business was slow lately, what with protests going on. Rather than being commended for their accomplishments, the company was being harangued for their methods of work. Most people shunned the thought of permanently changing a person's memories through the use of technology. Even though clients were required to sign off, it was often argued whether they were even in the right state of mind to do so. It was the constant harassment that made Eva question if what she was doing was really right. Was she truly helping people? She granted them their dying wish, but at what cost?

Eva shook away her negative thoughts and began to organize her desktop to get her mind off of things. Cleaning out old case reports, finishing up newer ones, and repeating the process until it was time for her lunch break, though it was not like she needed one. With the lack of work, she could take a break whenever she liked to be honest.

On the way down to the break room she paused at Neil's door. Neil Watts was a technician, her colleague, and close friend that she'd known since high school. Without her help, he probably wouldn't have even passed the exam to get the job. She knocked on the door. No reply. She knocked again, this time slightly louder, still greeted by silence. The door was locked, she noted, when trying to turn the knob.

Neil, I swear to God, you better have called in. I'm not saving your sorry ass every time Rob gets on your case…

Upon entering the elevator, Eva decided to call her coworker. The phone rang a few times, but Neil never picked up. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence. Why even have a phone if you're not going to answer it, she often wondered. His recurring excuse was that his phone died easily. Her reply was almost always, "Maybe it wouldn't keep dying if you stopped playing games on your phone and actually did your work!"

It wasn't until she was leaving work for the day when she finally got a reply:

Neil: "hey sorry. in hospital and doctors told me not to use phone, text you later"

Eva: "What the hell Neil? Which hospital?!"

Neil: "gesund, across the street from that dunkin donuts with the pretty cashier"

Eva: "Wtf happened? I'm on my way now…"

Eva shook her head in disbelief all the way to her car.

The hospital, Neil? Really?! What the fluff did you do to yourself? Though she wouldn't have admitted it in front of him, she was actually rather nervous. Not afraid, but still a bit jumpy. Even though she dealt with people who were literally on their deathbed, actual hospitals made her queasy. Most people were given the chance to pass in their own home rather in a gray-walled, odd smelling building.

The ride to Gesund Hospital took a bit longer than expected due to the after work rush hour, but she managed to get there in nearly ten minutes. The entrance to the hospital was rather bland. The white tiled floors were clean, though they did not shine, and the front desk barely had any design. Just a simple block of wood with a simply dressed man working diligently on his computer. He looked to be in his early twenties, with swept up blond hair and a creased collared shirt. His top button was unbuttoned and his sleeves were rolled up at uneven lengths. Upon closer inspection, she noticed he was just playing solitaire.

Eva stood for a moment in silence then calmly cleared her throat. The young man sat up nervously and ran a hand through his hair.

"Oh, uh, sorry about that. H-How may I help you?"

"I'd like to visit a patient, please. His name is Neil Watts."

"Okay, um. If you'll just sign here, ma'am," he pointed at a binder in front of him, "You just write the date, time, patient name, etcetera…"

The pen swooped and swirled, and Eva smirked when she noticed the boy stared wide-eyed at her handwriting. She set the pen down, and looked back up.

"May I have his room number?"

The man blinked and shot his gaze toward the computer.

"Oh right… Um. Mr. Watts is in room 303."

"Thank you." Eva nodded and went on her way.

When she entered the hospital room, she was quite shocked to say the least. She had never seen him so unguarded. His usually neat brown hair was unkempt and sticking up at odd angles and his fair skin was even paler than normal. When he glanced up, Eva immediately noticed his bright green eyes: a sight she rarely saw due to his insanely reflective glasses. The man was as blind as a bat.

Neil reached over and grabbed his glasses off of a table to his side. After putting them on and blinking a few times, he finally recognized his colleague.

"Eva? What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean? I told you I was dropping by."

"The doctors don't really want me using my phone so I haven't been able to check it that often."

Eva strode over to the end of the bed and leaned over the frame. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the dark circles beneath his eyes and the way his chest rose and fell at an awkward pace. She quirked her head to one side.

"So what happened? You never told me why you're here."

Neil crossed his arms and sighed.

"Concussion."

"Jesus, Neil… Did you fall down the stairs or something?"

He adjusted his glasses and pondered for a moment.

"Yeah."

Eva placed her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"Seriously, what happened?"

"It's like you said," he held his hands out in front of him, "I fell down the stairs! Embarrassing, I know. But sometimes even the smartest of people can make foolish mistakes."

"I wouldn't be surprised if that's actually what happened, but I've known you for years, and I know you're a terrible liar, Neil."

He combed his fingers through his hair and huffed, "It's okay if you don't believe me. I find it hard to believe myself. I'm never this clumsy, but these things happen."

The amount of sarcasm seething from his tone made Eva roll her eyes.

"Whatever. I guess I doesn't really matter as long as you're okay."

"I'm fine."

"Fine. I'll be leaving then. Get some rest, Neil."

"Seeya."

Before she exited the door she turned around on her heels and quickly asked, "How long will you be in the hospital for?"

He looked up at Eva, then to the side, looking for an answer.

"Shouldn't be too long. I'll probably be able to go home tomorrow. I'll have to take an extended leave from work though."

"Okay. I guess I'll stop by tomorrow?"

Neil simply shrugged his shoulders in response and waved goodbye. When he was sure she was gone he rested his head against the stiff hospital pillow and glanced towards the end of the room where his lab coat hung over a chair. He glanced at the name tag, then the pocket, and then at the ceiling. With a sigh he removed his glasses and lay on his side. His head was pounding and his mind was fuzzy. His nausea wasn't unbearable, but present enough to be annoying. In an attempt to alleviate his symptoms he closed his eyes and fell asleep soon after.


End file.
